A former volunteer bookkeeper for the Girl Scouts flipped her plea in court Thursday and pleaded guilty to a felony embezzlement charge for stealing about $10,000 over an 18-month period from troops in North County.
Janet Daily, 36, faces a maximum of a year in jail when she is sentenced March 16 by Vista Superior Court Judge Robert Kearney. The defendant is expected to make full restitution by the time of sentencing, said Deputy District Attorney Kate Flaherty.
Daily was charged with two felony grand theft counts by an employee. The Rancho Santa Fe resident was arrested Nov. 22 in connection with the case.
The wife and mother of two young girls was a Girl Scouts volunteer for the past seven years, said Detective Bill Barrett.
"She was in charge of accounts for 44 troops in the Solana Beach and Rancho Santa Fe areas,” he said.
Investigators said when Girl Scouts officials found out Daily and her family were moving out of state, they checked her accounts and discovered money was missing. Detectives said they went to her home.
"She did have $1,000 cash in her wallet and she indicated she was leaving for Iowa the next day," Barrett said.
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Investigators said Daily admitted to them that she had taken the money over the past year and a half because her family had been struggling financially. They also said Daily's family in Iowa paid the money back to the Girl Scouts.
